Tigers are the biggest cats: Lifeform of the week

Image via Waldemar/ Pexels.

Happy International Tiger Day! July 29 is the day we celebrate the world’s biggest cats: tigers.

Where do tigers live?

Tigers are the largest cats in the world. They evolved into nine subspecies, six of which still exist: Bengal tiger, Indochinese tiger, Siberian tiger, Malayan tiger, Sumatran tiger and South China tiger. Three of them are extinct: Bali tiger, Javan tiger and Caspian tiger.

As you might have figured out by their names, tigers live in Asia. They migrated from Africa to Asia. They live in different environments, from rainforests to mountains. While they can adapt quite well to many conditions, most species prefer it warm and moist. The lack of prey is a problem, as they eat 50 to 60 large animals per year.

The Bengal tiger is the most numerous. It represents 50% of the worldwide wild population. Tigers can live for about 25 years. However, most die before turning 20 years old.

Their physical appearance

On average, tigers weigh 450 pounds (204 kg). The largest is the Siberian tiger, measuring around 13 feet (four meters) long and weighing up to 661 pounds (300 kg).

They could have a career as sprinters, as they can reach speeds as crazy as 37 mph (60 km/h). They’re not the fastest animals – that’s cheetahs with their top speed of 58 mph (94 km/h) – but it’s still quite impressive. Tigers are fast thanks to their muscular legs, but only for short distances.

Tigers have more muscle mass than lions, which is why they are heavier. So, lions might be the kings of the jungle … but tigers are the bodybuilders of nature. You surely don’t want to mess with them. Even if you want to high five them, you better keep your hands to yourself, because one swipe from a tiger’s front leg is enough to kill a person or animal, or at least break their bones. A tiger’s diet varies depending on where it lives, but some of the large animals it can eat are deer, water buffalos, and wild pigs.

Tiger stripes

Tigers can camouflage themselves behind thick bushes thanks to their stripes. This helps them lie in wait and attack from behind. People living in communities near tigers wear masks behind their heads to trick tigers so there’s no “behind” to sneak up on. But fortunately, tigers don’t usually attack humans. Also, they are quite solitary and like to go for quiet walks.

All tigers have stripes in both their fur and skin. And their stripes are unique, like human fingerprints. The coloration of their fur is caused by the pigments eumelanin (for the black fur) and pheomelanin (responsible for the orange fur). White tigers have a mutated version of gene SLC45A2. This is why they lack the orange color. Another interesting fact is that white tigers are a type of Bengal tigers.

Tigers’ behavior

In general, tigers are nocturnal animals. That means they hunt and protect their territory during the night. One of the reasons they prefer darkness is to avoid conflict with humans. Actually, they have bubbly personalities and are well known for being humble. Male tigers allow females and cubs to eat first … What gentlemen!

Fun facts about tigers

While most cats hate water, tigers have adapted to a life close to water sources. They even have webbed toes and enjoy a nice bath. They are amazing swimmers, thanks to their powerful muscles.

Another fun fact about them is that they can imitate the call of other animals. And did you know that a group of tigers is called an ambush or streak? Also, they can mate with other big cats. This is how tigons and ligers are born.

Tiger cubs are born blind, so they need to follow the scent of their mothers to survive. If they can’t keep up, they die of hunger or cold. Consequently, only half of them survive. Their mothers teach them how to hunt, and they can even kill in the water. As adults, they are capable of swimming for hours and kilometers! And they even eat fish.

Tigers possess antiseptic saliva, so when they lick an area where they have been hurt, they are preventing this area from getting infected. They are pretty good doctors, aren’t they? But even though they are fast, strong and good healers, they face many challenges.

How many tigers are there?

There are less than 4,000 tigers in the wild. Around the year 1900, the tiger population in Asia was around 100,000. But due to deforestation and human development, in the year 2000 the number of tigers was down to 3,800. That means 96% of the population has disappeared.

Beautiful, powerful, fast, strong, unique … That’s why they are so loved! If you care about these magnificent animals, you can help them thrive by collaborating with the many different organizations and programs that try to raise awareness of their poor situation and help them live their best lives. Two great organization are the Wildlife Conservation Society and the World Wildlife Fund.

Thank you to the amazing photographers from Pexels and Unsplash.

Bottom line: Tigers are huge, fierce cats that are unique and beautiful. We tell you some curious facts about them here.

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